Letters to the Editor – December 6, 2011
Slow down in Manila
In the last several weeks, there have been three major accidents on the highway that slices through Manila while connecting Eureka and Arcata. One was fatal. Another seriously injured a bicyclist. These recent events have once again brought the issue of highway safety to the forefront in our town.
Since I made my home here 30 years ago, local residents have repeatedly beseeched Cal Trans to address this important issue, to no avail. Our safety is not a priority to them.
The intersections along State Route 255 through Manila are busy places. There are small groups of older people out for their morning walk to the beach. Kids on bikes trying to get to the park or the community center on opposite sides of the highway. Young mothers pushing strollers, with a dog on a leash. Public events at the Community Center draw dozens of vehicles, all trying to turn off at intersections with no turn lane. The Manila Park has very popular sports fields and a disc golf course, drawing people from surrounding communities. In this one mile stretch, three hundred households enter and exit SR 255 at all times of day.
Yet the speed limit remains 55 mph. Imagine our dismay when Highway 101 was designated a “safety zone” and the speed limit lowered! Now all the speedsters go our way!!
We are tired of pleading with Caltrans and are taking our cause straight to the drivers who pass through our town. You will see signs made by our families urging you to drive respectfully, and maybe a few memorials to people and pets who have died there. So, on your busy morning commute, or your trip to the beach, thank you for slowing down through our town.
Linda Lee
Manila
Note: A major problem with driving the speed limit through Manila is that one will immediately be tailgated, possibly even road-raged by those who haven’t gotten the memo or have and don’t care. When a large truck with an angry driver is bearing down on you, it is safer to go with the flow. – Ed.
A fearless future
It is Thanksgiving Day and I am feeling grateful. Gratitude being such a nourishing feeling, I have no desire to consume too much food. Instead I am compelled to speak my heart and mind to you beloved community.
Transformation is in the air… can you feel it?!? I am speaking of the transforming of a world based on domination and greed, to a world based on cooperation and love: the natural world. The kind of world we would celebrate EVERY day.
The definition of Utopia is: “An imagined perfect place or state of things.” Well why can’t we have what we can imagine? What is stopping us? Our own disbelief that such a place is possible? I say that it IS possible. That together we will figure out what gets in the way of our living lives as most of us would prefer to live our lives.
I long to live my life fearlessly. I should not have to be afraid of those people who claim to speak on my behalf while they destroy all that I hold dear. Are we going to believe them anymore friends and neighbors? Theirs is not the sort of thinking that concerns itself with what benefits the next generation – let alone the 7th generation.
Is it as obvious to you as it is to me that we must stop relying on “our leaders” to save us? Have you ever heard the word “love” come out of any of their mouths? Do you feel loved or cared for by the authorities?
No. We must take matters into our own hands. And we are. This Occupy Movement has arisen from an imperative need for change. I am in my 7th decade, and for most of my life I have hoped for what this uprising is bringing about. This is about loving ourselves, each other, and Mother Earth enough to do whatever it takes to free ourselves from the rule of the heartless. We know who they are.
As I see it, the Occupy Movement is the last frontier we have to save ours and many other species. Please find a way to align yourself with the Movement.
Maureen Kane
Arcata
Note: the following letter is unedited. College of the Redwoods declined an opportunity to respond. – Ed.
Krishna vs. the hicks
My Name is Shawn Adelman and I am a student at College of the Redwoods. I am an older student and have had some jobs and travelled over the world and back. I have been living in Eureka for over one year, and decided to go and get an associates degree at College of the Redwoods.
As I was there I thought I would give to the students something of what I have learned over the past 10 years, as a vedic monk a yoga teacher and Vegeterian chef and a kirtan leader. But I was very much surprised that College of the Redwoods is not open to any form of spirituality and they themselfes are stuck in the Dark Ages.
They are at that school truly hicks with a large portion of them from a very closed minded and hicky state Arkansas. But If I were to open a bioble club I ‘m sure there would be no resistence as over 20 staff memberes have told me about there “jesus” experience.
My club was charterd, that meant I could have regularly scheduled meetings, and beable to have fundraisers and do events and also get money from the Associated Student Body the ASCR. The most closed minded and I might add there fearless leader is non other than a man from Arkansas.
They dissolved my Club in a private meeting, then would not tell me why they did that, here is list of events so far.
This is a formal complaint about Kintay Johnson and the running of the Associated Students. I was treated unfairly, and mistreated because of my spiritual practice and my enrollment at the College of the Redwoods DSPS.
This was an E-mail I sent him:
Kintay Johnson,
I am writing to you for you to give me the procedure for The Bhakti Yoga Club of the Redwoods to be removed from Club Suspension.
List of Events:
I asked to start a Club, you gave me an old club booklet.
I followed the booklet you gave me. I received more than 10 ( actually 25) Students who are interested and Eligible.
I made a constitution
I found advisers
I had a first official meeting ( the constitution was adopted, officers installed)
I gave the charter form to Nicholas Bogdan the ICC Officer ( He told me “ The Bhakti Yoga Club is now a club”)
You told me on Thursday of the next week that The Bhakti Yoga Club is not a club, and you have to have it passed by the board” I said “OK”
The next week the club was voted in as an official club, and the next Friday I had the clubs first meeting as an Official Charter.
I had one of my advisers tell me by phone a week before the next meeting I had scheduled for the following Thursday that He Chris Weston, that he would not be available any more.
I looked for another Adviser and found one, Rodney Bethune. I had him sign a copy of the clubs charter, then had it sent to you on Thursday. So you were aware of the meeting Friday September 30th.
I was told by the ASB President that week that a club account was already set up for me, and I could start to withdraw funds.
I went to the Business office, and asked for the Clubs account number, but they did not have it, the cashier called you, but no answer or response from you. I followed up one more time with the Cashiers office, also with no account number, and no response from you (Kintay Johnson).
I spoke with you on the phone about it on Tuesday October 4, 2011. You said after I asked about the account number “ it takes time, you gotta wait” then hung up on me.
Latter that day we had a meeting with Robert Ekholdt in The Residence Office.
I then received a Allegation that I misused an Advisors signature, that i forged a signature, this was a allegation made by Kintay Johnson to Kieth Snow-Flamer.
I was found Not Responsible for any misconduct of the Student Code.
I was at a Associated Students Meeting on Friday October 14,2011 and then was asked to leave for 45 min. because I was told it was a closed meeting, I left.
When I returned I was told that the Bhakti Yoga Club was no longer a chartered club, but was not told why.
Kintay Johnson said I could re-aply next semester.
Why was there no reason given to dissolving the Club Charter? Why there no formal apology given by Kintay Johnson and the Associated Student Body?
At a meeting tonight after reading the letter that I will attach as a attachment, they disregarded all of my rights
They said my club was too spiritual and that the Bible Club was ok because they discuss the Bible.
Perhaps if I were the President of the Bible Yoga club I would still have a club. They send me back and forth from one committee to another as a try to get $1000 dollars from them to put on a music Event with the World famous Temple Bhajana Band which they pompously mispronounce every time they say it. This event as I have told them will make the money back as I have a health permit and will sell 200 plate at $5/plate. They on the other hand the the ASCR or as I call them Associated Students Christian Redwoods, have had a few events most for there own field trips with a larger bill and no money to come back. 3,000/ hotels and driving to an event for only student Government, $2,500 on t-shirts that they still have a huge stock pile of, $2,000 for a BBQ that was very poorly attended. the list goes on and there spending does as well.
But my event that I have been trying to plan with them asking then for the funds have switched into two comittees and I am feeling like a Fosteres freeze Milkshake, and if tyou have not got it from this letter. I am being discriminated at College of the Redwoods. The Vice President Keith Snow-Flamer believes I should try gto work it out with them. But, Dr Snow-Flamer, What about my civil right, and freedom of religion, did you forget that one?
Shawn Adelman, president
Bhakti Yoga Club of the Redwoods
College of the Redwoods, Eureka
Thanks but no thanks, Mike
As a longtime supporter of Mike Thompson, I want to thank him for his many years of service and all the things he has done for Humboldt County, the fishing industry, our roads and the environment to name a few. He has represented our interests well in Congress, but now that he’s chosen to run in his new home district instead of ours, he’s also offered to choose (endorse) his replacement. As much as I appreciate everything Mike has done for us, I think maybe we’d like to make this choice ourselves.
I’ve had a chance to meet and listen to six of the Democratic candidates that are running for Congress in our District 2. I found that all of them brought something interesting to the voters and each had ideas worth discussing and thinking about. I think the rest of my fellow Humboldters should also be allowed to have that opportunity through an open and free primary debate. However, Mike is making that possibility very unlikely by selecting one of those candidates as someone that should take his place. Even though this is only the primary, where all candidates should have a chance to prove themselves by debate, discussions and presentations, the political elite are lining up to crown that person, Jared Huffman, as the anointed one. When all the money and endorsements go to just one candidate, the public discussion is stymied and those candidates, whose campaigns aren’t as wealthy, don’t have a chance to speak.
I understand why Washington insiders are attracted to professional politicians and I appreciate that Mr. Huffman has that “Sacramento pedigree” that gives him incumbent status. Perhaps this is why Congressman Thompson would endorse someone who seems to belong in Washington, DC, but I live in Humboldt County. I was born and raised in Arcata, raised my family here and spent my life as a school teacher in the Eureka City Schools District. I want someone who will really represent my interests and the interests of the area that I love. I don’t know if Mr. Huffman will do that. I haven’t heard the debate yet. I have found Susan Adams extremely interesting and capable. I like that she is a nurse and has close ties to Humboldt County and I’m leaning toward her as my candidate, but Norman and Stacy also have some good plans and ideas. This is the primary. Let them all speak.
Twice in recent years we have been told whom we should vote for in the State Senate races after Patti Berg retired. That hasn’t always worked out as well as it should have, but there are term limits in the California Legislature so mistakes that are made do not last. This is a rare opportunity because of redistricting, for us to elect a national representative. This person may be in office for many years to come, perhaps for their lifetime. We should really do a good job of vetting these candidates by listening to them, talking to them, watching them handle themselves and researching them to see if they are the right person to go to Congress to represent us. I don’t think we should be asked to follow along in lock step with those who may mean well, but are asking us to circumvent Democracy by not thinking, just voting for “their” candidate.
Thank you for everything you’ve done for us, Mike. I wish you had chosen to run in our new District, but since you didn’t, I think we’re qualified and able to make the choice of the next two people to run for Congressional Representative in November, 2012. After the primary, your endorsement will be helpful to support the Democratic candidate that comes out on top in the primary. For now, thanks, but no thanks.
Pam Cahill
Bayside
